Living In The Philippines Forum

Title: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: FRaymie on July 11, 2017, 09:22:09 AM

Hello all, this is my first attempt at posting anything so I hope all goes well. A relatively new member of the group but have been reading a lot of the info. My wife and I are in the process of liquidating assets in the US and moving to Samar permanently. If all goes well, we should be there October or so. We have been married 48 yrs, have a home in Eastern Samar but have been snow birds since 2007. We're ready to make the big move. Any advise will always be welcome. thanks

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: Steve & Myrlita on July 11, 2017, 03:24:27 PM

Hello all, this is my first attempt at posting anything so I hope all goes well. A relatively new member of the group but have been reading a lot of the info. My wife and I are in the process of liquidating assets in the US and moving to Samar permanently. If all goes well, we should be there October or so. We have been married 48 yrs, have a home in Eastern Samar but have been snow birds since 2007. We're ready to make the big move. Any advise will always be welcome. thanks

Welcome. Glad to have you aboard. Enjoy.

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: Art, just a re(tired) Fil-Am on July 11, 2017, 05:04:10 PM

Hello all, this is my first attempt at posting anything so I hope all goes well. A relatively new member of the group but have been reading a lot of the info. My wife and I are in the process of liquidating assets in the US and moving to Samar permanently. If all goes well, we should be there October or so. We have been married 48 yrs, have a home in Eastern Samar but have been snow birds since 2007. We're ready to make the big move. Any advise will always be welcome. thanks

Welcome, looks like your first post was back in September 10, 2010 and then nada until now. Why Samar? I know, your spouse's family is from there and your home is there, but it's not always the best of reasons. Location, location location is every important for and into retirement. Don't make it hard on yourself living in an isolated off the beaten path to and or from nowhere in the province. We've been there and done all that long ago. We now live in a more modern upscale suburban area that has everything we need. I noticed your previous post concerned major medical problems and you have TRICARE. Luzon in the Manila area has TRICARE coverage with many major hospitals affiliated. Important thing is to always have your DEERS up to date and have fairly new military dependent I.D. card for your spouse and or kids, which expires every 3 years and are difficult to renew in the Philippines.

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: bigrod on July 11, 2017, 06:20:31 PM

Reference Art's comment about ID cards, currently they cannot be renewed in the Philippines period. If they need to be renewed you can go to Guam, Singapore, Bangkok, Japan, S. Korea or mail a renewal request. If you are 65 years old above recommend you renew your ID to show you are covered under Medicare. Also you will need to maintain Medicare Parts A&B to be entitled to TriCare for Life.

Chuck

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: FRaymie on July 12, 2017, 11:18:58 AM

Welcome, looks like your first post was back in September 10, 2010 and then nada until now. Why Samar? I know, your spouse's family is from there and your home is there, but it's not always the best of reasons. Location, location location is every important for and into retirement. Don't make it hard on yourself living in an isolated off the beaten path to and or from nowhere in the province. We've been there and done all that long ago. We now live in a more modern upscale suburban area that has everything we need. I noticed your previous post concerned major medical problems and you have TRICARE. Luzon in the Manila area has TRICARE coverage with many major hospitals affiliated. Important thing is to always have your DEERS up to date and have fairly new military dependent I.D. card for your spouse and or kids, which expires every 3 years and are difficult to renew in the Philippines.

Thanks for the info Art. You're correct about the reasons for Samar. However, we also like the area however. Not too far off the path and Hernani has been expanding. No major medical, but at ages 70 and 65 we need to be prepared. Have already contacted Tricare providers in Calbayog Samar and Tacloban Leyte so we should be ok. However, we also have a fondness for Pampanga Luzon with family there as well so that could ultimately become home. Plans are still not etched in stone and your information is extremely helpful. Thanks ....will advise.

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: FRaymie on July 12, 2017, 11:30:34 AM

Reference Art's comment about ID cards, currently they cannot be renewed in the Philippines period. If they need to be renewed you can go to Guam, Singapore, Bangkok, Japan, S. Korea or mail a renewal request. If you are 65 years old above recommend you renew your ID to show you are covered under Medicare. Also you will need to maintain Medicare Parts A&B to be entitled to TriCare for Life.

Chuck

Thank you Chuck....Wife just got her over 65 ID etc. Appreciate the heads up. We just attended a briefing by the Tricare folks here in San Antonio and they provided a lot of info relative to our relocation plans. We are both under Tricare PLus which is a derivative of Tricare for life here in San Antonio. The renewal info is very helpful. thanks

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: jjcabgou on July 12, 2017, 04:04:49 PM

Reference Art's comment about ID cards, currently they cannot be renewed in the Philippines period. If they need to be renewed you can go to Guam, Singapore, Bangkok, Japan, S. Korea or mail a renewal request. If you are 65 years old above recommend you renew your ID to show you are covered under Medicare. Also you will need to maintain Medicare Parts A&B to be entitled to TriCare for Life.

Chuck

Chuck, I went to a tricare place in Pasay and met with a lady that told me we can renew our id cards with her.

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: Art, just a re(tired) Fil-Am on July 12, 2017, 04:30:26 PM

Chuck, I went to a tricare place in Pasay and met with a lady that told me we can renew our id cards with her.

Yes there is a TriCare counseling office in Pasay. She might be able to mail off the renewal application or give you the instructions. The only equipment to actually produce/process the card was under JUSMAG. It may now be under another office, but the scheduling site just now shows only appointments for initial issue with renewals having to be mailed. The site also for a change showed appointments available for Jul and Aug, which is unusal.

Chuck

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: bigrod on July 12, 2017, 05:36:02 PM

Well, spit it out JJ! Don't keep us in suspense, who, where and how? We should make this a topic on it's own instead of hijacking this guy's check in thread.

lol it was almost 2 years ago, if I do some spitting I am going to make a mess. The office was walking distance from the Midas hotel. My wife and I were there and spoke with the lady directly. "IF" I remember correctly, she told us we can renew her ID right there. We will be going there in the next couple of weeks. I will start a new thread with some updated info

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: Art, just a re(tired) Fil-Am on July 12, 2017, 09:10:25 PM

Yeah JJ, some good info will help. My wife's card and passport will expire next year in Jul. We were planning to go on vacation to San Jose, Ca. to visit her family and can do it while there, but if we decide not to go, I want another option in getting her I.D. card renewed without leaving the country.

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: Lee2 on July 12, 2017, 09:40:13 PM

Hello all, this is my first attempt at posting anything so I hope all goes well. A relatively new member of the group but have been reading a lot of the info. My wife and I are in the process of liquidating assets in the US and moving to Samar permanently. If all goes well, we should be there October or so. We have been married 48 yrs, have a home in Eastern Samar but have been snow birds since 2007. We're ready to make the big move. Any advise will always be welcome. thanks

Welcome to the forum. I split the topic to give you your own topic.

As for the tricare issue, it would help other members if someone started a topic about it in the tricare section but since a lot of it is already posted here, I saw no easy way to split it off and move that part of it there, so continue on here, or in a new topic, I leave that up to you all.

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: JoeLP on July 12, 2017, 10:54:42 PM

Hello all, this is my first attempt at posting anything so I hope all goes well. A relatively new member of the group but have been reading a lot of the info. My wife and I are in the process of liquidating assets in the US and moving to Samar permanently. If all goes well, we should be there October or so. We have been married 48 yrs, have a home in Eastern Samar but have been snow birds since 2007. We're ready to make the big move. Any advise will always be welcome. thanks

Any chance you bought and in-law a fishing boat named Sparty? I belong to another forum for a completely unrelated subject/site and talked to a member retiring to Eastern Samar also. I live in Northern Samar.

The first year might be more of an adventure than if you were in a place like Cebu City or Manila. Finding the nearest immigration office and setting the ground rules for your in-laws and just getting use to the local area and what will be entertainment for you and all.

Wish you the best of luck.

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: FRaymie on July 13, 2017, 10:15:50 AM

Any chance you bought and in-law a fishing boat named Sparty? I belong to another forum for a completely unrelated subject/site and talked to a member retiring to Eastern Samar also. I live in Northern Samar.

The first year might be more of an adventure than if you were in a place like Cebu City or Manila. Finding the nearest immigration office and setting the ground rules for your in-laws and just getting use to the local area and what will be entertainment for you and all.

Wish you the best of luck.

Thanks Joel. No inlaws with boats. Looking forward to the move. thanks for the info and I'll use it. Look forward to talking to you and maybe meet you in person one of these days. Thanks again.

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: HappyBee on July 13, 2017, 12:14:33 PM

Welcome!

If I was to move to the Philippines all over again, I would not spend a lot of money on a house (although you did say you already have one), or on setting myself up permanently until I had lived in the area for a year or so. I have found I have a few family related issues with living where we are, but don't yet have the finances to relocate and build from the ground up again.

I would probably also choose an area where there are a fair few other foreigners, as life can get a bit lonely and I miss conversations in English. Having a strong internet signal would be nice, as well as a supermarket that sells foreigner food.

Just a few things to think about - nevertheless an exciting time for you to be starting a new life here!

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: FRaymie on July 14, 2017, 05:42:13 AM

If I was to move to the Philippines all over again, I would not spend a lot of money on a house (although you did say you already have one), or on setting myself up permanently until I had lived in the area for a year or so. I have found I have a few family related issues with living where we are, but don't yet have the finances to relocate and build from the ground up again.

I would probably also choose an area where there are a fair few other foreigners, as life can get a bit lonely and I miss conversations in English. Having a strong internet signal would be nice, as well as a supermarket that sells foreigner food.

Just a few things to think about - nevertheless an exciting time for you to be starting a new life here!

Thanks a million for the info. As you noted, we're making the move permanent but we're somewhat acclimated. We built the home in 2006 and have spent extended periods over the years (although none have been more than 8 weeks). I don't know of any family issues, but you are correct, they can come out of no where. You made some great observations. Thanks again. These items will help me a lot.

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: JoeLP on July 14, 2017, 03:21:19 PM

You will have fun with other foreigners. What I mean is choosing the ones to hang with and which to avoid.

Between Catarman and Babon(neighboring municipality) there are a fair number of foreigners. But only around 4 of them do I do anything with.

You will find some foreigners that chose to move here but do nothing but complain. Then there is another group that is just as bad as the girls in gossip and drama. Then there are the ones that came to live and have fun and enjoy life. Hope of find a lot in that last group. I found to former USAF retirees and a scot and a couple Aussies that all are seeking to have fun and enjoy life here.

Best of luck on that. You're sorta stuck with who is in the area and I hope there are some of that last group in your area.

Title: Re: New member FRaymie and some info on Tricare
Post by: FRaymie on July 15, 2017, 12:03:12 AM

Great insight. I consider myself in the 'live, fun and enjoy life' group so looking forward to finding some like thinkers. Thanks again.